Bowling ball



Jan. 30, 1951 W, MCLAREN 2,539,918

BOWLING BALL Filed. April 5, 1948 INVENTOR. Mgazzz Mclal'ezz ATTORAEY Patented Jan. 30,

UNITEDV STATES PATENT GFFICE BOWLING BALL William McLaren, Kearny, N. J.

Application April 5, 1948, Serial No. 18,931

y Claims.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a bowling ball which has linger holes that may be spacially displaced with relation to each other witho-ut varying the perfect sphericity of the bowling ball.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a bowlingball which has replaceable finger sockets which separately and in combination with the first mentioned object, will supply a ball variable in every characteristic except weight.

Still another object of my invention isy to provide an adjustable bowling ball that may be used' for trial and test purposes preliminary to ordering one permanently made.

And another object of my invention is to provide a bowling ball which is adjustable, and which may be calibrated so that a desired adjustment may be reset at any time by reference to the calibration, or a custom made permanent ball may be made merely by reference to the settings of the calibrations.

Another object of my inventionis to provide a bowling ball that has a span adjustment feature, a bridge adjustment feature, and with which exchangeable finger hole bushings may be supplied, or the standard bored finger holes may be used.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a bowling ball which is simple and easily adjustable and variable over a wide range of finger hole spans.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a bowling ball having hemispheric sections rotatable with respect to each other, one carrying a thumb hole, and the other carrying one or more finger holes, whereby the span distance may be increased or diminished in accordance with preference.

The accompanying drawings present embodiments of structure illustrating my invention as hereinafter detailed. They are intended as eX- amples of the application of my invention, and not as limiting the invention, which invention includes all other forms which are within the scope of the hereinafter set forth claims.

In; the drawings:

Figure i is an elevational view of my invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2--2fof Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the finger hole bushings; j

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the ball showing the cylindrical insert;

Figure 5 is a top view of the bottom hemisphere; and

Figure 6 is a partial side view of the bottom hemisphere. Y

Referring now to the drawings in detail, my invention provides a bowling ball II composed of a top hemisphere I2 and a bottom hemisphere I3, which are complementary. The top hemisphere I2 has a cylindrical insert I4 with an end I5 whose curvature conforms to the surface curvature of the ball II. The insert I4 rests in a cylindrical passage I6. The passage I6 has a partially threaded passage II extending perpendicular thereto. A spring I8 is located in thispassage in engagement with a pin I9. A threaded retainer 2li engages a flange 2| on the pin I9 and serves to keep it protruding no more than a brief interval into the passage I6. engages an annular groove 22 on the insertld, whereby the insert is retained in but readily removable from the passage I6, but is, nevertheless,

freely rotatable. The insert I4 has its end I5 v s-upplied with a reference point 23. Around the edge of the passage I6, an angular deviation scale 24 is marked to cooperate with the reference point 23. The equatorial edge of the top hemisphere I2 is marked with a scale 25, preferably in inches, and the equatorial edge of the bottom hemisphere I3 is supplied with a reference point 26. The bottom hemisphere I3 has a radial passage 21 into which a thumbhole bushing 28 with a central passage 29 of selected diameter may be inserted. The hemispheres I2, I3 have a vertical shaft 3|! into which a flanged `nut 3| with a wrench socket 32 in the head, is in threaded engagement with abolt 33. The hemispheres I2, I3 are thereby held together.

, The top hemisphere I2, at the end of the ver.- tical shaft 30, has an annular cut-out portion 34, in which a hollow cylindrical member 35 is positively affixed. This member 35 has a worm wheel 36 at vone end. A rod 31 passes through the bottom hemisphere I3 in a channel 38 and terminates in a Worm 39 which is engaged with the worm wheel 36. nThis rod is provided with a wrench socket 40 whereby the hemispheres I2,

I3 are rotated with respect to each other. By.

lndical passages 4|', 42. A pair of cylindrical Here itl bushings 43, 44 are inserted in the vpassages 4I, 42. The bushings are frictionally positioned and have linger holes 45, 46 for the first and second fingers. These finger holes are off-center with a diameter suitable to the appropriate iingers. Being off-center holes, they are disposed not less than three-sixteenths of an inch from the outer wall of their respective bushings, whereby a minimum bridge indicated by the bracket 41 will be no less than three-eighths of an inch to conform to accepted standards. When the bushings 43 and 44 are rotated in the insert I4, the size of the bridge 4'I may bek varied to suit. Further, bushings 28, 43, 44 with dilerent size nger holes may be provided to suit the needs of any bowler.

My bowling ball is intended primarily as an aid to the proper tting of a permanent, nonadjustable bowling ball. For that purpose it may be used as follows. A wrench is applied' to the socket 32 to loosen the nut 3|. This permits rotation of the hemispheres I2, I3-with respect to each other. A wrench applied to the socket 4D rotates the hemispheres I2, I3 decreasing or increasing the span distance between the thumbhole bushing 28 and the finger hole bushings 43, 44. When the desired span distance is achieved; the deviation from zero may be read on the scale 25. The normal adjustment of the ngers will also cause the insert I4 to revolve, and the deviation of the insert from zero degrees may be read on the scale 24'. With the two readings, it will be easy to make a permanent bowling ball with the preferred characteristics chosen by manipulation of the adjustable ball. By substituting bushings 28, 43, 44 with various thumb and nger hole diameters, holes of like size may be provided in the permanent ball, by reference to the characteristics marked on each of the selected bushings.

It will be seen that thev use of my ball permits of almost unlimited variations and experimentation as a prelude to the ordering of a custom made bowling ball and insures that the custom made ball will have the precise characteristics chosen by manipulation of the adjustable ball.

Inasmuch as many changes may bel made in the selection, construction and arrangement of the component parts of my bowling ball, all within the scope of the appended claims, it is intended that such equivalentsshall be consid-A ered as therein included.

I claim:

. 1. A bowling ball comprising complementary segments of a sphere, a' means for rotatably connecting the segments together, a thumbhole in one segment, a rotatable insert in the other segment, a worm wheel connected to one segment, a means for rotating the worm wheel extending through the other segment, and one or more finger holes in the rotatable insert.

2. A bowling ball comprising complementary segments of a sphere, a means for rotatably connecting the segments together, a thumbholey in one segment, a rotatable insertr in the other segment, one or more ringer hole bushings-in the rotatable insert, a worm wheel connected to one segment, and a means for rotating the worm wheel extending through the other segment.

3. A bowling ball comprising complementary segments of a sphere, a means for rotatably connecting the segments together and frictionally engaging them against movement with respect to each other, a thumbhole in one segment, a

rotatable insert in the other segment, oneY or more finger holes in the rotatable insert, a worm wheel connected to one segment, and a means for rotating the worm wheel extending through the other segment.

4. A bowling ball comprising complementary segments of a sphere, a means for rotatably connecting the segments together, a calibrated scale on the edge of one segment, a reference point on the corresponding edge of the other segment, a thumbhole in one segment, a rotatable insert in the other segment, a worm wheel connected to one segment, a means for rotating the worm wheel extending through the other segment, and one or more nger holes in the rotatable insert.

5. A bowling ball comprising complementary segments of a sphere, a means for rotatably connecting the segments together, a thumbhole in one segment, a rotatable insert in the other segment, a calibrated scale and a reference point on the insert and its segment, a worm wheel connected to one segment, a means for rotating the worm wheel extending through the other segment, and one or more finger holes in the rotatable insert.

6. A bowling ball comprising complementary segments of a sphere, a means for rotatably connecting the segments together, a thumbhole in one segment, a rotatable insert in the other segment, a means for retaining the rotatable insert in its segment, a worm wheel connected to one segment, a means for rotating the worm wheel extending through the other segment, and one or more linger holes in the rotatable insert.

7. A bowling ball comprising complementary f segments of a sphere, a means for rotatably connecting the segments together, a worm wheel connected to one segment, a worm in operable engagement with the worm wheel and extending through the other segment, a thumbhole in one segment, and one or more linger holes in the other segment.

8. A bowling ball comprising complementary segments of a sphere, a calibrated scale on the edge of one segment, a reference point on the edge of the other segment, a means for rotatably connecting the segments together and frictionally engaging them against movement with respect to each other, a worm wheel connected to one segment, a worm in operable engagement with the worm wheel and extending through the other segment, a thumbhole in one segment,-

a rotatable insert in the other segment, a cali brated scale and a reference point on the insert and its segment, a means for retaining the insert in its segment, and one or more finger holes in the rotatable insert.

9. A bowling ball comprising complementary,

segments of a sphere, a means for rotatably connecting the segments together, a thumbhole in one segment, one or more linger holes in the other segment, a gear connected with one segment, a means for rotating the gear and in operable engagement therewith extending through the other segment whereby the segments are rotated with respect to each other.

Y10. A bowlingball comprising complementary segments oi a sphere, an axial passage extending through the segments, enlargements of the axial passage at the outer ends thereof, axial members disposed in the passage with theirv inner ends in threaded engagement, an enlarged portion at the end of each axial member positioned in the enlargements of the axial passage, a surface on the enlarged portion of an axial member adapted to be engagedNwith la means for rotating the axial member and adjusting the threaded lengagement of the ends of the axial member whereby the segments may be frictionally engaged against movement with respect to each other, a worm wheel connected to one segment, a Worm in operable engagement with the Worm wheel and extending through the other segment, a hole in one segment, a rotatable insert in the other segment, a means for retaining the rotatable insert in its segment, and a hole in the insert.

f WILLIAM MCLAREN.

REFERENCES CITED Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Doty June 5, 1923 Shepard Jan. 30,1940 Hinkley July 9, 1940 Keith Apr. 3, 1945 Dietz et a1. Jan. 15, 1946 Hubbard Jan. 29, 1946 Rietsma Nov, 8, 1948 Elliot July 19, 1949 

